Amount of terminated derivative instrument.

No definition available.

Name:	ibm_DerivativeTerminatedAmount
Namespace Prefix:	ibm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before tax of increase (decrease) in accumulated equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, attributable to parent. Excludes net income (loss), and accumulated changes in equity from transactions resulting from investments by owners (distributions to owners).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AociBeforeTaxAttributableToParent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The estimated net amount of existing gains or losses on cash flow hedges at the reporting date expected to be reclassified to earnings within the next 12 months.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121549185&loc=d3e80748-113994

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashFlowHedgeGainLossToBeReclassifiedWithinTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Average remaining period until maturity of the derivative contract, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAverageRemainingMaturity1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Nominal or face amount used to calculate payment on derivative.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125515794&loc=SL5580258-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125515794&loc=SL5579245-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of derivative instruments of a particular group held by the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125515794&loc=SL5579245-113959

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125515794&loc=SL5580258-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeNumberOfInstrumentsHeld
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period the derivative contract is outstanding, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeTermOfContract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum length of time over which the entity is hedging its exposure to the variability in future cash flows for forecasted transactions, excluding those forecasted transactions related to the payment of variable interest on existing financial instruments, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121549185&loc=d3e80748-113994

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MaximumLengthOfTimeHedgedInCashFlowHedge1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_NotDesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentEconomicHedgeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeForwardMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_CashFlowHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_CurrencySwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=ibm_ForwardStartingInterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=ibm_EquityContractEmployeeCompensationHedgeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Derivative Financial Instruments - Hedging Programs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2021
Instruments in net investment hedges
Derivative Financial Instruments
Notional amount	$ 6,800	$ 7,200
Average remaining maturity	1 month 6 days	3 months 18 days
Interest rate swaps
Derivative Financial Instruments
Notional amount	$ 425	$ 2,975
Amount of terminated derivative			$ 1,300
Interest rate swaps \| Derivative instruments in fair value hedges
Derivative Financial Instruments
Notional amount	$ 400	$ 3,000
Average remaining maturity	1 year 2 months 12 days	1 year 2 months 12 days
Foreign exchange contracts \| Not designated as hedging instruments - economic hedges
Derivative Financial Instruments
Notional amount	$ 6,800	$ 6,800
Foreign exchange contracts \| Not designated as hedging instruments - economic hedges \| Maximum
Derivative Financial Instruments
Term of contract	1 year
Foreign exchange contracts \| Instruments in net investment hedges
Derivative Financial Instruments
Notional amount	$ 14,100	16,400
Foreign exchange forward contracts \| Derivative instruments in cash flow hedges
Derivative Financial Instruments
Maximum length of time hedged	3 years
Notional amount	$ 7,200	$ 8,000
Average remaining maturity	7 months 6 days	8 months 12 days
Net gains (losses) before taxes in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss), cash flow hedges	$ 315	$ (192)
Gains (losses) expected to be reclassified to net income within the next 12 months	$ 236
Cross-currency swaps \| Derivative instruments in cash flow hedges
Derivative Financial Instruments
Maximum length of time hedged	6 years
Notional amount	$ 2,000	1,500
Net gains (losses) before taxes in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss), cash flow hedges	(174)	$ (236)
Gains (losses) expected to be reclassified to net income within the next 12 months	$ (15)
Forward-starting interest rate swaps \| Derivative instruments in cash flow hedges
Derivative Financial Instruments
Number of derivative instruments outstanding	0	0
Net gains (losses) before taxes in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss), cash flow hedges	$ (157)	$ (174)
Gains (losses) expected to be reclassified to net income within the next 12 months	(18)
Equity contracts hedging employee compensation obligations \| Not designated as hedging instruments - economic hedges
Derivative Financial Instruments
Notional amount	$ 1,400	$ 1,300